08 February 2010

There is a misconception that freelancers and the self-employed hang out in their pajamas and play video games all day - that we don’t have to deal with the shit storm that comes with work.

The prevailing view of work is that it’s not supposed to be fun, that we’re supposed to put our heads down and suck it up, pay our dues. Frankly, that’s like telling a prisoner to just shut his eyes tight and push through it.

The truth is, there is always going to be crap. There will always be things that we hate, but we have to do. Filling out TTB forms, reading laws about alcohol control, and revising something for the tenth time are not what I call fun. My days are not filled with afternoon movies and coffee dates. I do, however, enjoy the flexibility I have now. I enjoy building a business enough that it makes dealing with the crap worth it.

Ideally, you like what you do enough that the shit is worth it. There is no reason to hate every day, no reason to just keep your head down and get through it. Other options exist; you can create another path for yourself.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain